Would you spend S$ 12,000 on your baby's first birthday?

A mum recently threw a bash for her daughter that set her back by S$12,000. And no, it was not for showing off!

A new trend is emerging: parents splurging on their child’s first birthday. And no, it is not for showing off! The reason most of the parents do this is to bring the family together!

And this is why Emily Qian, a 36-year-old mum decided to spend S$ 12,000 for her daughter’s first birthday! The five-star dinner for 70 guests alone was about S$7000 and the Little Red Riding Hood themed cake, another S$2000. She knows that her daughter is not going to remember any of these, but the family is happy.

Birthday packages

Parents seem to have given over the planning aspect of the birthday to event managers. And why not, it is hassle free. You just select a package, choose the cake and the venue, and invite the guests. You are then free to enjoy with your guests without having to worry about the music, entertaining the guests, serving food or getting candid moments clicked.

These packages are becoming popular among the young busy parents who just want to have a glitch-free first birthday for their child. You can choose a themed cake, a dessert trolley and much more! So if you want this, contact your nearest cake vendor. They might just help you arrange the bash!

Is there a role of social media?

Social media has done one thing: it has successfully brought down the stars on the Earth and made them look more human. So when your favourite actor Instagrams a photo with her daughter, we find it infinitely adorable.

For years, people have tried to imitate the trendsetters. Now, they have a glimpse into the lives of their idols. So naturally, when an actor throws a themed birthday party for her daughter’s first birthday, people just follow the trend.

But that is not all. Even adults have started celebrating birthdays differently. A recent research by One4all, a gift card company shows that social media is changing how birthdays are being celebrated! Half of the birthdays are organised on social media. A fourth measure the success of the birthday based on the response they get on the various platforms. Don’t believe me? on Instagram alone, #firstbirthday has more than 1.8 million posts!

In fact, I have seen people coming up with unique hashtags, asking the friends and family to use those for photos taken at the event in an attempt to make the event go viral. I find it a bit odd.

Other options to celebrate the first birthday

Well, if you are genuinely inclined to splurge on the birthday, go ahead. But of you don’t want to spend so much on something that is not even going to be registered by the child, here are 4 ideas to celebrate the child’s first birthday. You can do these in the morning and then cut a simple (or an extravagant) cake that you have baked in the evening.

1# Ball pit

A 1-year-old baby is curious. If you really want him to enjoy his first birthday, take him to a ball pit. Or bring a ball pit to him! The different colours and odd-shaped toys mixed with the balls will ensure that the birthday is all about him! He is going to have a ball!

2# Zoo

Take your bub to watch the polar bear swim at the Singapore Zoo. Trust me, he is going to have much more fun there than inside a ballroom surrounded by serious looking adults who are on their best behaviour because of the opulence of the venue.

3# Road trip

The night before, just drive to Port Dickson. You will get a water villa for a fraction of what you would spend on a birthday! There is nothing like waking up to the sound of waves. Enjoy a morning swim in the sea and drive back in time to cut a cake with friends and family!

4# Giving back to the society

If you have an elder child, this is much more effective. Instead of spending time and money on an event, make it into an occasion. Volunteer with the Singapore Children’s Society and let your children do something meaningful on the good occasion! In addition, you can also pledge donations towards good causes.

Do you know that you could feed more than 600 children in India for the cost of 2 pizzas? This Professor runs free schools in India and teaches those who cannot afford it. For just Rs 2500 (S$ 54), you could sponsor a meal for more than 600 children for one day! And for the price of a themed cake, you could sponsor the education of 10 children! I am sure my son would appreciate it if I do this instead of throwing him a bash for his first birthday. But, then again, you can have both if you are so inclined.

Children enjoying a nutritious meal at a school run by Shloka Missionaries.

Mums and dads, at the end of the day, it is your hard-earned money. So nobody should judge you for how you spend it. Just don’t forget that this is the bar you set for your children to base the future birthdays on!